Celtics Fall in New NBA Power Rankings After Frustrating Week

Celtics Fall in New NBA Power Rankings After Frustrating Week.

Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the second half at TD Garden

For most of the season, the Boston Celtics were one of the best teams in the NBA. They are the defending NBA Champions and are still one of the favorites to win it again this season. While they aren’t the top seed in the East right now, they still are one of the most talented teams in the league.

However, the team has not played very well recently, losing three of their last four games. The Christmas Day game against the 76ers was a game that they could have won. Had they been able to execute better in the fourth quarter, they might have walked away with a victory.

Instead, they lost. The good news for them is they get a home game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. The Pacers are coming off a loss to the Thunder on Thursday and are on the second night of a back-to-back. Quite frankly, there’s no excuse for the Celtics to lose this game.

Because of how badly they are playing, they have slid in the most recent Bleacher Report power rankings. They didn’t fall far, only sliding from second to third. The Celtics are still one of the best teams in the league despite their recent struggles.

 

According to Bleacher Report, the only two teams playing better than the Celtics right now are Oklahoma City and Cleveland. OKC just won their ninth consecutive game after beating the Pacers on Thursday night and now has the longest active winning streak in the league.

Cleveland is still the top seed in the East and ahead of the Celtics in the standings, so that makes sense. They are going to be a hard team to catch with the way that they are playing. Boston can still turn things around in a hurry. They have back-to-back games against the Pacers.

Boston needs to stay healthy. That’s the key to them playing their best basketball. They have perhaps the best starting lineup in the NBA. All they need is for their guys to be healthy enough to be out there. Boston might make a move at the deadline to shore up their depth, but that’s about it.

The Celtics are one of the few teams who are just worried about how they play in March and April. This is a playoff-focused team. Health is their prime concern.